INTERVIEW: Teddy Riley On His New Memoir ‘Remember The Times’, Relationship With Michael Jackson + More

Summary

The Breakfast Club: Interview with Teddy Riley on his Memoir ‘Remember The Times,’ Michael Jackson, and More

Podcast: The Breakfast Club (The Black Effect Podcast Network & iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Date: February 10, 2026
Guests: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God, Angela Yee
Special Guest: Teddy Riley

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Episode Overview

This vibrant and wide-ranging interview features music icon Teddy Riley, ahead of the release of his new memoir, Remember the Times. Riley reflects on his monumental contributions to R&B, hip-hop, and pop, his relationship with Michael Jackson, the pivotal lessons he learned in the music business, his experiences fostering new talent, and his thoughts on legacy, business pitfalls, and personal growth. The hosts uncover untold stories, discuss the evolution of Riley’s artistry, and expose the triumphs and struggles that shaped both his career and character.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Teddy Riley’s Memoir: Why “Remember the Times”?

• Title significance:
  • Teddy explains that the memoir’s title, echoing Michael Jackson’s classic, is less about the song, “it’s really about people remembering where I came from… remembering when I first wanted to be in music, when I first wanted to be a star, when I got picked up on stage by Gladys Knight at five years old” (04:00).
• Purpose of the book:
  • The memoir aims to chart his journey—not just his music, but the moments, lessons, and people who defined his path.

2. Early Struggles & “Getting Kicked off the Block”

• Leaving street life for music:
  • Teddy reveals, “I used to be a hustler… my crew… they kicked me off the streets. It was like, ‘nah, you can't come back on.’ And when I did that, I felt like that was the right thing for them to do” (04:48).
  • Music became his only choice—returning to church and hustling to support his family as a single mom’s child.

3. The Virginia Beach Chapter & Community Influence

• Why Virginia Beach?
  • Drawn by “something in the water,” Teddy moved and became a catalyst for the music scene—organizing talent shows, sports tournaments, and helping locals break into radio (06:39–09:34).
• Pharrell & Chad Hugo’s discovery:
  • He recognized their raw talent, “they just went in, just freestyle…and that really intrigued me” (09:43).
  • He aimed to “find more creators and just take them to the next level.”

4. Relationship with Michael Jackson

• Brotherhood and collaboration:
  • Michael was generous and supportive (“when I had my daughter, he just bought everything for her” 11:15; gifted the first plasma TV).
  • On privacy: Michael’s stay in Virginia was cut short when his hotel privacy was breached; Teddy moved him to a senior citizen community for peace (11:54–12:54).
  • Michael’s influence and mentorship: “He was that mentor that showed me a lot of things. Like, I would call him about business and decisions, and he would call me about females. And I can say that now, you know, the non-disclosure is over.” (57:23)

5. Music Industry Hardships: Royalties, Losses & Learning Business

• Early losses:
  • "I did the Keith Sweat album, I've only made $1,500 from that to this day. But I got the publishing, but never got my royalties" (14:08).
  • He was often uncredited, motivated by artistic recognition, not business profit.
• On being ‘pimped’ by the industry:
  • “In so many aspects I've been pimped…from Gene Griffins to everybody who I've done music with and never got paid.” (22:50)
• On the need for protection:
  • “Nobody” was looking out for him as a prodigy in an adult industry (13:40).
  • “If kids do not lean on their parents, they're not going to be straight.” (21:32)

6. Label Ownership & Missed Opportunities

• Becoming a label head:
  • “I did [create a label] with Jimmy…great success. I just wasn't, you know, in the gatekeeper's room. I wasn't part of the gatekeepers, you know, I'm just totally like, outside of that.” (22:36–22:50)
• Missed iconic signings:
  • He advised Missy Elliott to go solo (25:58); knew The Brat since she was 14, and Chris Brown was brought to him as a child.

7. Champion for Groups & the Next Era

• |Guy 2.0 & keeping groups alive:
  • “That’s my goal...doing a partnership with [Hi-Five]…Guy 2.0 is the new ‘guy’. I can’t wait for y’all to hear them” (29:01–29:46).

8. Credit, Legacy, and Business Acumen

• Losing and regaining business control:
  • He once filed bankruptcy, rebuilt in California, and eventually regained his business footing (16:40).
• Sampling and clearance struggles:
  • Despite now owning his publishing, “you're still clearing my songs without my permission” (61:58).
  • “We’re getting to the bottom of it” regarding unauthorized samples and film syncs (63:01).

9. The Michael Jackson Industry Machine

• Being blocked from MJ’s BAD album:
  • “I was told by Michael that I was supposed to be on the Bad album… because of Gene. He didn’t want me to talk to you. He have to be present. And we just passed on you.” (38:00)
• On supporting Michael through scandal:
  • Teddy publicly stood up for MJ during adversity, “I went up against Oprah…all the lies… I’m so happy that actual evidence came up” (59:23).

10. Reflections: Forgiveness, Destiny, and Protection

• Forgives Gene Griffin and others who wronged him:
  • “In my book, I have a chapter that says forgiveness, and that’s what it was about.” (43:43)
• Balancing art and business, building a roadmap:
  • “Just a roadmap—watch and read about my mistakes so you don’t make them. And then read about the good things and try them. They’ll work for you.” (54:02)
• On legacy and being ‘almost famous’:
  • “I've never given the credit for it. And it's okay, because I feel like if I'm still going—40 years in this business—I'm almost famous.” (47:23–48:41)
• On the broken industry system:
  • “It never changes because…they would either like us to be in that situation or shooting at each other, you know, being against each other. That makes the money.” (46:01)
• Empowering the next generation:
  • “That's the Libra in me…You become the adult you needed as a child.” (45:07)
  • Looking forward to teaching (‘masterclass’ is coming), now that he understands his business worth (65:01).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On career-defining moments:
  • “When I got busted by the police…I felt like the most high was like, I'm gonna take you out of here…and that was my only choice, because I went back to church, played for the church, and did everything that I can to make ends meet for my family.” (04:43)
• On Michael Jackson's generosity:
  • “He just bought everything for [my daughter]; I didn't have to buy nothing.” (11:17)
• On lost music industry earnings:
  • “I've only made $1,500…from [the Keith Sweat album] to this day.” (14:08)
• On standing by Michael Jackson:
  • “I went up against Oprah...all the lies...I'm so happy that the actual evidence came up. It was all a plan. That's why I stay private.” (59:23)
• On legacy and being famous:
  • “I've never given the credit for it. And it's okay, because I feel like if I'm still going…I'm almost famous.” (47:23)
• On being an architect of the sound:
  • “I want my sound to show and there's so much I can't wait for you all to hear that I'm doing…the Symphony New Jack Swing album—guest artists and people who come and sing my music with strings. I just have a dream of doing the Carnegie Halls and something special for us as a people...” (35:08)
• On protecting the next generation:
  • “If kids do not lean on their parents, they're not going to be straight. They don't fall short.” (21:32)
• On forgiveness:
  • “I have a chapter that says forgiveness, and that's what it was about.” (43:43)

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Timestamps to Key Topics

• Start: Ads/Intro
• [02:37] Introduction of Teddy Riley
• [03:33] Why the title “Remember the Times”
• [04:43] Early struggles, leaving hustling life
• [06:39] Virginia Beach, founding a music community
• [09:43] Meeting Pharrell and Chad Hugo; developing new talent
• [11:03] Michael Jackson's kindness and collaborations
• [13:21] Being a young protégé, lacking protection/mentorship
• [14:08] Royalties and business losses (Keith Sweat album)
• [16:40] Losing it all, studio troubles, rebuilding after bankruptcy
• [19:55] Including his mother’s perspective in the memoir
• [22:36] Label ownership, industry gatekeepers, missed opportunities
• [25:59] Encouraging Missy Elliott to go solo, other missed signings
• [29:01] Guy 2.0, working with modern groups
• [35:08] Creating a symphonic New Jack Swing project
• [38:00] Candid about being blocked from working on MJ’s Bad album
• [43:43] The act of forgiveness, letting go of past industry pain
• [45:46] Systemic industry issues, artists still getting “jerked”
• [47:23] Reflection on fame, “almost famous” status
• [51:56] Entering the K-Pop industry and legal battles over publishing
• [54:02] The book as a blueprint and “roadmap” for others
• [61:44] Issues with sampling, royalties, and ongoing business fights
• [63:46] What executives would be most uncomfortable confronting

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Final Thoughts

Teddy Riley’s interview is as candid as it is inspiring. He shares hard lessons about business, the magic of musical collaboration, and the importance of community and mentorship. Remember the Times is positioned as both a celebration of accomplishments and a practical roadmap for aspiring talents—packed with lessons Teddy wishes he’d had when entering the industry. The episode weaves personal reminiscence with gritty industry reality, moments of regret with joy and hope, all delivered with Riley's characteristic humility and humor, and the hosts’ signature energetic warmth.

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“I want my sound to show…there’s so much I can’t wait for y’all to hear that I’m doing.”—Teddy Riley (35:08)

“If kids do not lean on their parents, they're not going to be straight. They don't fall short.”—Teddy Riley (21:32)

“I've never given the credit for it. And it's okay, because I feel like if I'm still going…I'm almost famous.”—Teddy Riley (47:23)

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For anyone interested in the evolution of R&B, hip-hop, or the realities of the music business, this episode is essential listening—and Riley’s memoir promises to be its perfect companion.

Transcript

[Angela Yee]

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[DJ Envy]

You know, we joke all the time on our show and it seems like we hate on each other, but in real life, it's all love here, and that's family. And that's why this message from the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate really, really matters. Because real hate isn't jokes. It's real people getting targeted. Like the kid who gets singled out at school in the commercial during the big game. But what stood out to me when was someone choosing to show love instead of ignoring it. If you saw that Blue Square commercial, you know, and if you want to show support, sharing the Blue Square is one way you stand for love and not hate.

[Nissan/Shopify Commercial Narrator]

Hold up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club. Y' all finished or y' all done?

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlamagne Tha God. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, indeed.

[DJ Envy]

An icon, a legend.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Come on, now. Come on now.

[DJ Envy]

Ladies and gentlemen, tv Teddy Riley. Welcome back.

[Teddy Riley]

Thank you, man.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Good morning.

[Teddy Riley]

How you feeling, man?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You look good, Ken.

[Teddy Riley]

Yes, you do. Thank you, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Vegan?

[Teddy Riley]

No, but I. I don't eat beef or pork or chicken.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay.

[Teddy Riley]

I just kind of stay away from a lot of things.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I feel like when you get to a certain age, you have to tell other men what the secrets are.

[Teddy Riley]

Oh, yeah. You got to all the time.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

So.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

So yours is pescatarianism. Pretty much.

[Teddy Riley]

Close. You know, I don't. I just don't do a lot of stuff. You know, I don't eat a lot of stuff. You know, I stay close to liquids and waters and. And mainly. Yeah.

[State Farm Commercial Narrator]

Nice.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know, Teddy Riley has a new book coming out called Remember the Times.

[Teddy Riley]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Man, you got a lot of. First of all, you have an amazing story. But I was thinking when I saw the title, you got a lot of titles you probably could choose from, right? Like songs that you could choose titles. Why?

[Teddy Riley]

Remember the Times, Remember the Time is truly the biggest RB record I've ever made.

[DJ Envy]

Really?

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah, but it's really not about the song. It's really about people remembering where I came from. And it's. You know, you can say so many things behind that. You know, remembering when I first wanted to be in music, when I first wanted to be a star, when I got picked up on the stage by Gladys knight at 5 years old. So remembering those times just made me say it's a great title. I didn't want to call it just Teddy Riley. I feel like it's bigger than me.

[DJ Envy]

I mean, with this book, it's so hard to interview Teddy Riley because there's so many different lanes, angles, ways you can go, and I know so much about them, I don't even know where to start. So I guess we start with, when did you know music was gonna be your passion and was gonna be your love?

[Teddy Riley]

When I got busted.

[DJ Envy]

Talk about it.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Busted where?

[State Farm Commercial Narrator]

How?

[Teddy Riley]

When I got busted by the police. I used to be a hustler first, and, you know, I used to go to The Club Harlem World, to actually see all of my idols and people like Dougie Fresh, who I went to school with. And I think it was around maybe a few weeks after that, I felt like the most high was like, I'm gonna take you out of here. And then the crew, my crew, Shaq crew, we all here. It's about 17 of us left. And they kicked me off the streets. It was like, nah, you can't come back on. I said, okay. But I gave him a fight. And when I did that, I felt like that was the right thing for them to do. And my guys always talk about it. My guys supreme and Al Capone. It's like, man, I wish they would have kicked us off the block, too. But, yeah, that's what made me want to be in music. And that was my only choice, because I went back to church, played for the church, and did everything that I can to make. Make ends meet for my family. My mother. Single parent.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What was it they heard that made them kick you off the street?

[Teddy Riley]

No, they always knew I did music because I used to carry my little Casio around while hustling. I used to carry my Casio, and they used to rap while I'm playing. And actually, supreme is the one who's the skinny kid that was battling Biggie. He's the one who brought me to the crew, so. So, yeah, we're well connected. You know, when it comes to music, all of us did music. It's just that we didn't have a way to get into it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So when you moved to Virginia beach, right? You know, you grew up in Harlem, moved to Virginia Beach. How did that shift, you know, how did that shift shape your worldview and your sound?

[Teddy Riley]

It didn't shift. It wasn't even a shift. I just went to Virginia. The reason why I went to Virginia, we used to go to Virginia every summer. Fourth of July, Fourth of July, Memorial Week, the whole summer King's Dominion, you know? So I would go there every. Every summer with, like, my friends from school. D. Ferg, Alpo, Rich Porter, all of us. We charter a bus and we just go. So one day I went. Actually, the mother of my daughter's mother, I went with her, and we were at the hotel. Was that the Holiday? It's not the Holiday Inn. It's called the Holiday. And I told her, I said, man, I would want to move here. And next thing you know, about two years later, I did it.

[DJ Envy]

What did you see special in Virginia?

[Teddy Riley]

The water. It was something in water.

[State Farm Commercial Narrator]

Wow.

[Teddy Riley]

And it just made Me want to be there. You know, Coney island wasn't it for me.

[DJ Envy]

Nah, Coney island wasn't it.

[Teddy Riley]

But it was something in the water of Virginia that made me just want to be there. And that's why I did the first video there. Rumshaker. And it was history.

[DJ Envy]

Was Virginia accepting to you when you first moved in, when you first went there?

[Teddy Riley]

I didn't really know anybody. We came here. We came there just solo. We just came there and moved there. But we got a lot of people just, you know, police pulling up on us because we all had, you know, Ferraris and cars and all of that stuff, and they would just kind of pull up on us, even at my house. And then when we had the studio, that's when everything started evolving into us being able to do talent shows and do stuff for the community. And basically what I did for the community, which kind of kept the kids off the streets. I had basketball tournaments for the bitties. I had celebrity tournaments. Allen Iverson and all those guys used to play for my team. So Virginia became just a. I mean, when I went there, there was no music, you know, that there was Jimmy Buffett. And then after that, you know, just getting acquainted with the radio stations. I got a couple of people jobs. Like, what's Shaggy? I got him his job at 104 and 103 and. Huh.

[DJ Envy]

103 jams.

[Teddy Riley]

103 jams. But he was at z. Was that.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, yeah. The other station at 4.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, Just being able to be connected and help people just get jobs and opportunities for kids to play ball. And softball, we had softball team. We just had everything going, and that's what they recognized. But Virginia didn't recognize me. The people did. Gotcha.

[DJ Envy]

Do you remember meeting Pharrell the first time? You remember meeting Pharrell and Chad and what was that like, the first time you met them? And did you see the greatness at that time of them?

[Teddy Riley]

Of course. When I gave the talent show, everybody was going for people saying, I will always love you and all of these high, long notes songs. And I said, no, they're not the winners. They're the winners. And they didn't even have the concept. They just went in, just freestyle, and it was chatted for relative, you know, switching instruments. And that really intrigued me. I was, like, very impressed with what they can do. And that was my goal, just to find more creators, you know, and just take them to the next level. So I did that for a lot of people. Rodney Jerkins came down you know, I just built a synergy that brought everybody down. I even had executives, Russell Simmons, all of them, they came down heavy D. So just that's what made it big for me. It made it even more attractive now.

[DJ Envy]

You brought the community in. I remember going to that studio, used to have these times where he would bring students, local people and everybody just to come listen to projects, just to come listen to music. And I remember seeing. First time I ever seen it in my life. And this is going to sound crazy now. I think you might have had the first plasma television in the world.

[Teddy Riley]

It's like, you know, that was a gift.

[DJ Envy]

From who?

[Teddy Riley]

From Michael Jackson. Wow. Really? He used to always, what, come on back then, I think it was like.

[DJ Envy]

40, 50,000 for that television.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah, it was crazy. It was a lot. But I said I wouldn't buy it. But he just, you know, one thing I did with Michael, we built a brotherhood, you know, where this guy. Anytime when I had my. My daughter, my second daughter, he just bought everything for. I didn't have to buy nothing. So it was like that, you know, and when his kids, My kids used to babysit his kids, you know, when he came down to Virginia, you know.

[DJ Envy]

Where did he stay when he was in Virginia? Did you rent him a house? Was it a hotel? Cause it would have been crazy the fact that Michael Jackson was in Virginia.

[Teddy Riley]

He tried to stay in the hotel, the Marriott. And that's the reason why I don't stay in that Marriott. I stay in the new hotel down the street. But they invaded his privacy. Wavy tv and they went in his room. An employee gave a key to the television station. They walked into this room and he was like, no, get out. He was in the room. Huh?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Where was it?

[Teddy Riley]

Security? No security.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's crazy.

[Teddy Riley]

So I moved him out and put him in one of my places. And when I put him on, it was so private because I had bought a place in like a senior citizen community. And it was over. It had a golf course and everything. And I just said, you know what, Michael, would you like to stand here? He said, I would love to stay anywhere that's private. So I gave him the condo. It was brand new. And he bought the kids and everything. And then he mostly stayed at the studio or on the bus. So I would give him the bus, him and the kids, and, you know, while we made music.

[Angela Yee]

And you said, no security. That was by, like his choice or they just wasn't there at that moment.

[Teddy Riley]

What's that?

[Angela Yee]

When you said no security? When he was asking oh, no, he.

[Teddy Riley]

Had his security, but his security was. It was like 2 o' clock in the morning.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

You know, his room at 2 o' clock in the morning?

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Did they get in trouble for that?

[Teddy Riley]

I mean, like, you got to the bottom of it and the person got fired.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Absolutely.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You should have had to write a check too. How. How old? When you did the show, you was like, what, 17? 18?

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah, 17.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn. I always want. When you were. The Michael Jackson thing made me think about it, because when you were producing those hits as a teenager, who was protecting Teddy Riley, the kid? Like, you know, people might have been celebrating your genius at the time, but they might not have realized how young you were. So who was protecting you to.

[Teddy Riley]

Nobody.

[DJ Envy]

Did you have protection?

[Teddy Riley]

That's the reason why, you know, a lot of things that back then I didn't know, and I sort of didn't have a concern because I just want my music. I wanted my music on the radio. I just wanted my music out there. And I blew a lot of opportunities at the same time. A lot of my business wasn't done. You know, Example, I did the Key Sweat album. I've only made $1,500 from that to this day.

[Angela Yee]

To this day.

[Teddy Riley]

Jesus. But I got the publishing, but I never got my royalties. No one never looked out for me. So now we're going through different channels because you can't, you know, have a person's name on the album and as a producer and not have a contract, you understand? So thank God I know the business now.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Angela Yee]

So there wasn't times, though, when, like, even Michael himself was kind of like, trying to pour game into. Cause I saw you say working with him around that time was like being in college. Like, you weren't.

[DJ Envy]

You made.

[Angela Yee]

You weren't asking him those questions.

[Teddy Riley]

Oh, yeah. I mean, that's college. I learned a lot more than I'm supposed. You know, than I know. That then got you.

[Angela Yee]

Okay.

[Teddy Riley]

A lot more. And he just kind of schooled me on a lot of things, like things that I should be doing. And then even Pharrell, you know, Pharrell noticed something that, like, when we did the Essence Festival, and Pharrell's like, yo, your name is on that. You gotta get paid from that. I was like, so those. Those are things that, you know, I feel like my friends, true friends, would say, yo, you got paid on that. You got paid on that. So now today is a whole total different day. It's a beautiful day.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you never made no money off the show either because you Was uncredited. Uncredited on that too, right?

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

God damn.

[Teddy Riley]

I just wanted to hear my record on the radio. You know, I. I just had stars in my eyes and not business. You know, when I went down to Virginia, I was even a little more established. You know, I had a cool team. And, you know, actually the mother of my son was my manager, Maddie, and she helped me out a lot, you know, so my thing is, I like to be creative, and most times, you know, you don't think about the business aspect.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Whose job is it to correct that, though? Because, I mean, like you said, Dougie Fresh, y' all went to school together. Y' all was cool.

[Teddy Riley]

Like, well, with Dougie, that situation is a little different. And I'm cool. I'm really cool. Just my thing is, if I'm just being mentioned, I'm good. It's not about the money. It's really about, you know, the legacy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So that's what rich people say.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, I know, right?

[DJ Envy]

You know, I wanted to know, was there ever a time where you lost it all?

[State Farm Commercial Narrator]

Yep.

[DJ Envy]

And what happened with that? Cause, you know, and the reason I ask is I remember the studio, and then I remember they was like, now Teddy got rid of the studio in the bus. And I'm like, that's Teddy's everything. What happens? I always wanted to know what happened during that time.

[Teddy Riley]

Around that time, I moved to California because the work wasn't coming to Virginia. So when I went to California, I just kind of just built myself back and I actually filed bankruptcy there. And when I did that, it gave me a whole new change. And so crazy. Right after filing bankruptcy, I say about maybe four or five months later, I just. I was back to where I was financially, business wise. I had built a new team, and then I wound up coming back to Virginia. But I came back to Virginia to fight for my kids, get the house in order. The studio was actually stolen from me with a gentleman who's actually serving about. I think he's. He had a 33 year sentence troititus. The Titus family. And that happened because of Chauncey and myself. We just said, you know what? We got to do something about this. So wound up going on American greed, and we had to testify. And there were so many other people, Pharrell and them, they were involved as well. He took money from a lot of people and, you know, kind of fortunately got us all, but he's saving the time for it and, you know, we're good now.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

You have a beautiful story. Incredible story, right? What. When you were writing the book. How did you decide what parts you wanted to put in as to what parts you didn't want to put in? Because it's a lot.

[Teddy Riley]

Well, I didn't leave that up. I left that up to my writer who wrote it with me, Jake Brown, you know, because I wanted someone outside of me to put it in perspective, you know, more or less than me saying, I like that story. I like that one the most, because it talks about everything. Everything that I've done my whole walk. So I think he did a pretty good job, you know, with the direction, you know, I think he did a real good job.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

So how does that go? So you. You just go and you sit with them and you tell them everything, and then they just. Yeah, but I wrote my book by myself.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Because the co writer cost too much. So I was like, nah, I could do it. You know what I mean? But I didn't realize I totally underestimated what the process of writing your own book is.

[Teddy Riley]

Huge process. I tried.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Next time, I'm gonna go ahead and get a co writer. You know what I mean? But is that what it was like, you sat and you told somebody your story, and they just. They put it together for you?

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah. Well, what I did was I have everything on tape. I recorded my whole life.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Oh, wow.

[Teddy Riley]

And then I wanted to find the right person, and I had actually a young lady who's like a sister to me, Courtney. We actually have an animation film together. And she was actually gonna do it. And then she wound up getting a job with Netflix, a huge position. So Jake came, you know, and he's the guy who wrote, I think, Hip Hop Evolution and a bunch of other books. And I said, you know, this probably be a great match.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, that's pretty dope.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why was it important for you to include a chapter from your mother's perspective?

[Teddy Riley]

It's called A Mother's Memories because it's so crazy. I lost my mom 2024, February 10th, which is why the release date is tomorrow. And, you know, I always love making my mother proud. You know, that's another thing that, you know, kind of overrides money. You know, I made it. You know, every little step that I've taken in the music industry, you know, my mother was always a part of it. So.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, okay.

[Angela Yee]

I was going to ask. I've heard you talk about kind of like your mom almost is like a guiding spirit. I wonder now, like, you know, with her not being here, like, are there conversations that you have or things that happen where you're Like, I know that was my mom.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah. All the time. You know, there's been many things that have happened I didn't even expect. And they were great things. You know, I was like, yeah, I know. It's her. So.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And it's interesting, you know, when I think about, like, you know, you even talk about not being credited for certain records, like your mother told you early on, God's gonna bless you. You just take what he gives you, and he's going to bless you much later on. So did that early lesson help you in those type of moments?

[Teddy Riley]

Yes. And that's the one thing I always feel when I make a decision. I always think about God, you know, it's like, wow, what would he do? Then I think about my mom. That's like the. You know, that would be the closer. You know, for me, it's always about, you know, our parents just like, you know.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Teddy Riley]

If kids do not lean on their parents, they're not going to be straight. They don't fall short.

[State Farm Commercial Narrator]

That's right.

[Teddy Riley]

So I always lean on my parents. And, you know, my godparents, they're still here. She's still here. And I still call her, you know. She's the one who named me Teddy instead of Thea. Because she didn't like Theodore. She's like, I'm calling him Teddy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

O'Reilly would have been kind of fire, too, though.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Too long.

[Teddy Riley]

It is too long.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Theodore Riley.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Theodore Riley.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Do you gave Majestic?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Teddy Riley]

You know, it's crazy. That's the only thing Michael called me. He never called me Teddy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He called you Theodore.

[Teddy Riley]

He called me Theater.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn. Oh, wow.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

And that wasn't even your name.

[Teddy Riley]

What's that?

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

That's not even your name.

[Teddy Riley]

Oh, his real name is. My real name is Theodore.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Oh, okay. Your grandmother just was supposed to call you Teddy.

[Teddy Riley]

Calling you Teddy.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

I got you.

[DJ Envy]

You ever thought about back, you know, if you would have created a label so far back? Cause you could have been the Def Jam. You could have been the Bad Boy. You could have been Uptown. The Uptown Records. Cause you had all the acts, you produce all the acts. You ever wish you did that?

[Angela Yee]

But didn't you have a production company?

[Teddy Riley]

I did do it. I did it with Jimmy. And we made great success. I just wasn't, you know, in the gatekeeper's room.

[DJ Envy]

What do you mean?

[Teddy Riley]

What do I mean? Well, I wasn't part of the gatekeepers, you know, I'm just totally like. Outside of that. My thing was. It was about the music. And in so many aspects I've been pimped. You know what I mean? You know, from the Gene Griffins, you know, to everybody who I've done music with and never got paid, I think.

[DJ Envy]

About all the artists that you got a chance to work with, and you created a sound, you created a project. I mean, from. I mean, shit, you did everybody from Bobby Brown to Keith Sweat to, you know, whatever. But I always think about if you would have ran your own label like a. Uptown, like a. They would have all been signed to you. It would have been your sound, but you created all these sounds for all these different labels.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Was Little Man a production company?

[Teddy Riley]

Little man was a label, and then Future was a label with mca. And when I left mca, I went to Interscope. So before that I was with Uptown, you know what I'm saying? So this is how the whole thing pretty much went. Andre Harrell came to the rooftop. You guys are familiar with Club X Club in Harlem, Skating Wings? Well, that was a roller skating ring that we owned. My partner, Robert Wells, Gusto, we built the studio up there. We started a record label. So it's Gusto, myself at the roller skating ring. Yeah, Laveber and Greg G. And when we did that, Andre Harrell came up there because he wanted me to work with Heavy D. I'll be sure. And his artist before he came, like, before he came, he. It wasn't called Uptown. When he came Uptown and he hung with us and he tried to, I guess, do a deal with my partners. And I wasn't, you know, a factor to it. I was just supposed to be the producer. And that's why everybody always see me as the producer instead of making me a partner. But my guys didn't do it and they didn't fall for the deal because I wasn't implemented as a partner. So that's what I mean by being pimped. So that's, you know, I wasn't fortunate or wasn't in the right room to be that Uptown, but they always wanted to give me a label which is a high furnished, you know, production company.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So.

[Teddy Riley]

But now it's a total different story. You know, I can pretty much do anything.

[DJ Envy]

And that in that aspect, before I do that, what artist did you get a chance to possibly sign and say, you know what? You let go or you didn't do that deal?

[Teddy Riley]

What? Say that again.

[DJ Envy]

Is there an artist that you had a chance to sign that you didn't that became out to be a huge success.

[Teddy Riley]

I had many opportunities to work with. Missy used to always come to the studio. The Brat.

[DJ Envy]

Did you see the talent in Missy when she.

[Teddy Riley]

Of course. I'm the one who basically said to Missy, you should be solo. Cause she was with the group's sister.

[DJ Envy]

Sister?

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah. And she used to always come to the studio and she bought the group. You know, everybody's cool. But I said, you need to be solo. And she did it also. Who else? Ted?

[DJ Envy]

The Brat.

[Teddy Riley]

The Brat. I've known the Brat since she was 14. And she used to come up with my best friend Dawn. And I didn't know what to do with her then. But when she went with jd, I was like, that's the perfect combination. Sometimes you gotta, you know, let things be, because it's gonna happen the way it's supposed to, you know? So who else? Chris Brown.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

For real?

[Teddy Riley]

Chris Brown? Allen. Timmy Allen brought Chris Brown to Virginia, to the studio, to Virginia Beach. And then he was very, very young, and I didn't know what to do. I was so into Black street, you.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Know, and that's my group.

[Teddy Riley]

I wasn't more like, you know, I was the creative one. Working with my group, working with the groups, you know, when I had the time to work with groups outside of me and work with Bobby Brown and all the different ones. So I was kind of spread then, you know, to have a record label and then have this. And sign this person. So, you know, I signed as many as I could and, you know, just kept it moving.

[DJ Envy]

What about Timbaland?

[Teddy Riley]

Timbaland was actually already signed working with Devonte. And, you know, but we all knew each other. Timbaland used to always come to the studio as well. And we just built a friendship, you know. Cause we all from, you know, from Virginia. I moved to Virginia and, you know, became from Virginia. So it was always a networking thing, and we always got had fun together.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's crazy. You didn't know what to do with Chris when you was a child. Protege yourself.

[Teddy Riley]

Well, I'm diff me. I was more of producer.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Producer.

[Teddy Riley]

I was more of let me work with somebody, you know. But at that point in time, I was so into, like, building Black street, you know what I'm saying? Like, coming from guy, I said, yo, I gotta build something else. Another dynasty. So I wasn't more into signing anybody at that time.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

So you were going for groups, like, not just solo artists. You looking for another group anyway, too?

[Teddy Riley]

Cause I signed 911. Used to be basic black today. Work with high five. And I was like, I love working with groups.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So underrated group, man. High five. So underrated.

[Teddy Riley]

I'm actually working with them now.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Really?

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Wow.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They got hits. That's a very underrated group.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah. So Tristan and I, the original members, they came back and we were coming together to do the new Jack Swing tour with Dougie and everybody.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, that's one of my favorite performances, is high five on Apollo. When they did. I like. And the reason I like that performance so much is the coordination. They all were dressed alike. The choreography was hitting. You could tell that they rehearsed and practiced. You don't see that too in too much of any group nowadays.

[Teddy Riley]

That's true.

[DJ Envy]

Too many groups.

[Teddy Riley]

You don't see no groups. Well, that's my goal, you know, I'm looking at working with them and doing a partnership with them. Guy 2.0. And why you say 2.0? I say 2.0 because I can't say Guy. Because Guy is guy. But guy 2.0 is the new guys. And I can't wait for y' all to hear them, you know, All I'm doing is just keeping it consistent.

[DJ Envy]

Is Aaron in it?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, he said new guys.

[DJ Envy]

Well, it's gonna be some of the old members, I'm assuming. No or no?

[Teddy Riley]

I don't think they're ready for this. This is a whole nother. Whole nother aspect of what music sound like. And the consistency, because people are looking for consistency. That's the reason why we don't have groups, because everybody's breaking up. And I'm really tired now of just making people wait, especially to hear my music. How you gonna let a song go number one and you're not standing behind it? I, like, went number one. Booty call. You know, these records have got line dances, and we sitting just dormant. Doesn't work that way.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Are you doing them a disservice by calling them guy 2.0, though? Cause I know they got you, but God damn, Teddy, let's chill. I like.

[Teddy Riley]

They're beautiful songs.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

High, bro.

[Teddy Riley]

It is, but ask them to sing it.

[DJ Envy]

Do you think? You know, everybody always has the conversation of Aaron hall, and they always talk about R. Kelly taking Aaron Hall's whole thing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you think if, first of all, for the new people that don't know what the hell you're talking about, spell that out. That sounded crazy. People would always say that.

[DJ Envy]

R. Kelly.

[Teddy Riley]

I got that one.

[DJ Envy]

Stole Aaron Hall's style. Stole the whole concept of the look, everything from Aaron Hall. What were your thoughts on that?

[Teddy Riley]

Nah, he was inspired. You can't steal. You know what I'm saying? It's like me giving you sounds and I'm giving you sounds I'm giving you.

[Angela Yee]

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[State Farm Commercial Narrator]

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[DJ Envy]

We joke all the time on our show. People may think we hate on each other when we go back and forth, but the truth is that's the way we show love. That's respect, that's knowing where the line is. And that's why this message from the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate really sticks. Because real hate isn't playful. It's not jokes, it's not entertainment. The commercial during the big game showed a kid being targeted at school. Quietly, but in a way that happens way too often. And what really hit was the response. Someone chose to step in and show support instead of looking the other way. We talk a lot about culture, about community and having each other's backs. And this is what that looks like. So if you saw the Blue Square commercial during the big game, take a second and really think about it. And if you want to show support, go to bluesquarealliance.org to learn more.

[Teddy Riley]

We're not going to sound the same. R. Kelly does not sound like Aaron hall and Aaron hall does not sound like R. Kelly. He has his own sound and he. He developed his signature. Aaron developed his signature, he lost his signature. And I'm sad to say this, you know, we're on tour and if you have to always do this to the crowd, it is what it is. And of course, I mean, you could say that Frankie Beverly, but at least Frankie Beverly went out there and gave it his all. When you go out there and don't give it your all and then you just gonna pass the mic, it just doesn't work that way. People wanna hear your music and they wanna hear your record. And that's what I've been really tired of, especially making the music and being an architect of my sound. I want my sound to show and there's so much I can't wait for you all to hear that I'm doing. I'm doing the Symphony, New Jack Swing album with guest artists and people who come and sing my music with strings. And I just have a dream of just doing, like, the Carnegie Halls and something special for us as a people where we can be in tuxedos and be ghetto fabulous with this bed of music. Why?

[Angela Yee]

So I have a question for you. I saw your interview on Sway when you were talking about y', all, your relationship with all, like, original members, right? And you said when he asked you kind of what Envy just asked you, that they don't like you, that there was like, I love you, but you feel like they didn't give you the love that you gave them at one point. Has there been any conversations since that with anyone now that they're hearing you kind of express all of this stuff?

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah. I mean, but not with them. You know, I don't know if we'll ever get to speak again. And it's only because I've been through this so many times, and you can't just keep going. It's like being in a relationship and your husband is beating you. He's just beating you, but he's telling you he loves you. That doesn't work. It doesn't equate. And my thing is, I'm tired. I want to be around the people who have love for me, you know what I'm saying? Who have love for the music and ready to do this, who want it as bad as I do. Still 40 years in the business, and I still love this. You know what I mean? So I want to give the people what they've been waiting for.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I want to ask you, when you wrote, Remember the times, like, being a child protege in an adult industry, did you. Did you grieve anything? Like you feel like fame took from you too early? Like, while you were writing it, did you like, damn, I feel like I missed out on that.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah. I'll tell you, I was told by Michael that I was supposed to be on the Bad album, and the reason why I wasn't on the Bad album was because of Gene.

[State Farm Commercial Narrator]

Wow.

[Teddy Riley]

And he's like, well, I was making a beat, he was looking. And like, wow, I wish he would have done this on a bad album. And then he popped the question. He said, what, are you still with the. With that manager, that bald head guy? I said, who? You talking about? It kind of. I didn't know if he knew about him. I was like, maybe he do. He said, yeah, we were trying to work with you for the bad album. I said, really? And what happened? He just broke it down. He said, well, this guy Gene, he. He didn't want me in the same room with you. He didn't want me to talk to you. He's just. Whenever I talk to you, he have to be present. And we just passed on you.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Michael said this to you?

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah. Damn. So when he said that, I was like, wow, this is how people work. They work in the backgrounds, you know, against you. So that's why, you know, now it's a different day. You know, you gotta be in your business.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You talk about learning music before business in the book. If the book had existed when you were younger, like, you know, in your teenage years, what chapter you think would have saved you the most pain?

[Teddy Riley]

That one.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That one right there.

[Teddy Riley]

Actually, it would have really enlightened me to get the right representation, get the right people to back you and kind of keep some family around you, you know, the ones that, you know, because you do have some family, be like, yeah, I'm just making money off my cousin. You know, that type of stuff. But you do have family, like my daughters, you know, they. They like my managers. Right now I work for my children.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Nope.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

What's so weird about what you just said about not being on a bad album? Right. So that was your manager. But wouldn't that have made business better for him if you would have done the bad album?

[Teddy Riley]

It would have, but at that point in time, I don't think he thought about that. You know what I'm saying? He just. He didn't want Michael Jackson to steal me because he didn't really have a bonafide contract. When I left him, it was just like, yo, I'm out. And he couldn't do anything about it because when I signed my contract, I was young and we knew the laws then because you had to go through Po Bay Court in order to be signed to any organization, you know, under 16.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Teddy Riley]

And that's what he was holding on to, that contract. So he knew when we broke up with him, he's like, how am I going to do this? I got to try and con him into getting or taking his money. You know, I was being paid $10,000 for stuff I've done, like 250,000, 200,000. He would take the money and, you know, do whatever. So it is what it is. You know, you learn from the big mistakes.

[DJ Envy]

How did you meet Gene? I'm just curious, because if you ever Google it, it says, before Suge Knight, there was Gene, man. Yeah. How did you. How did you meet?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I got too many good Gene stories.

[Teddy Riley]

Well, I met Gene Gene the same time I met a guy who's like an uncle to me named David Hyatt. David Hyatt is the actual guy that discovered R. Kelly when they did Star Search. And he's the one that put up the money, I think about $100,000 to kind of just really build them. And I used to go see David hired in the same prison that R. Kelly is in right now before he passed. Two weeks before he passed. I seen him in that same prison. And I used to see him consecutively, like, the last two years before that. And then my brother wound up being in that prison before he got pardoned, he was in the same prison. So I met Gene. He used to come around the block in Harlem with his Porsche, red Porsche, and David Hyatt used to come with the blue Porsche and, you know, Matrix. I picked the red. And he used to come down and really just kind of figure out how he can get us signed. And that's how we kind of got with him. And then when we broke up, he went to prison. And when he came out of prison, Timmy Gatlin is the cause of us being with him. And then he quits the group, the first Guy album. So, you know, that's my best friend. But I still blame him. I would have never been in this if he made the right decision, because, you know, he said, yo, we should go. I saw Gene. He just got out of prison. You know, we should go see him. I thought I was getting away from it, but I followed him because, you know, he's older. So I said, all right. Cause I'm thinking, you know, he would have my back, you know. So when he quit the group, I'm looking like. And y' all see it, you know, when we. We're developing now the TV film. When y' all see this stuff, y', all, it's gonna be a lot in there that you should have saw in other movies, like the New Edition film. Y' all should have seen the Beef. But I'm gonna give you the beef.

[DJ Envy]

Did you speak to Gene before he passed? Did y' all have that heart to heart before he passed or no?

[Teddy Riley]

Sure did. I got back with him before he passed, you know, and I actually. He was in a home because he had Alzheimer's. And I brought him to the rehearsal with me, and, you know, I just kind of. You know, in my book, I have a chapter that says forgiveness, and that's what it was. About.

[DJ Envy]

I was gonna ask you why. Why did you decide to forgive Mafta?

[Teddy Riley]

I just felt it's right, you know, I always like to walk a straight line and put things either before me or behind me, you know, so that's it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When I think about stuff like that.

[Teddy Riley]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How much of your journey do you think was destiny and how much was just lack of protection for a young black artist?

[Teddy Riley]

I guess the music part of it was destined, you know, making good music for people. I always used to, like, have people come before that, you know, living in the projects. I lived on the first floor, so kids used to be at my window every day when they hear the music. They would line. They would be right there just dancing to it. And that really showed me, like, that my music is worthy of being on the radio or being out there. So that was the destined part of me. The other part was really the lack of not knowing. So.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, But I feel like even after destiny, based off knowing who you are, because I see you pour in to a lot of other people and, like, in a lot of ways, you become that protection. You become the adult you needed as a child.

[Teddy Riley]

That's true. And that's the libra in me. You know, I'm always that way. I'm that way about my children. You know, when it comes to me being in the limelight or getting bad media, you know, in Virginia, of course, Virginia always wanted to talk about us, you know, and when that happened, I protected my children first, not me. I made sure that they didn't hear it in the schools. You know, I had a crisis, you know, pr, who would just make it go away, and it did, you know, they never got teased or anything when anything happened with me in Virginia. So. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why haven't the industry ever gotten better when it comes to how it treats artists, though? Like, it feels like it's always. It's the same system. You always hear about artists getting jerked. You always hear about artists getting robbed. Like, it never changes.

[Teddy Riley]

Well, it never changes because that's what they were like. They would either like us to be in that situation or shooting at each other, you know, being against each other. That makes the money, you know what I'm saying? And I feel like that's changing now, you know, because people are tired of being tired, you know, So I feel like it's gonna be a little different, you know, I can't really talk about much that I'm about to do because I've been, you know, sitting with some of my people who really respect my Music, you know, Jimmy iovine, you know, Dr. Dre. We all hung out, like, two weeks ago. And Larry Jackson and I just feel like there's a place for me again, you know? And I can't wait for y', all, you know, kind of hear what's about to happen.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's crazy that you said a place for you again.

[Angela Yee]

Like, when did you think there was no place?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Are you an institution, a brick in this foundation, you know.

[Teddy Riley]

Y' all feel that way. I. For me, I'm just floating, you know, get in where I fit in until I totally fit. Cut it out. No, very serious.

[Angela Yee]

Did you feel like.

[Teddy Riley]

I'm very serious, you know, you fit.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

In for Teddy Riley.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You laid foundations that people stand on, man.

[Teddy Riley]

That is true. But I've never given the credit for it. And it's okay, because I feel like if I'm still going, you know what I'm saying? I stood the test of time. I'm 40 years in this business. I'm going to be 60 this year. So I stood the test of time, and I'm still going, and I'm still able to. You know, a lot of people out there overexposed. I could still come outside and I could still be me. And that's what I love about it. If I was up there with Michael Jackson and Chris Brown, they can't go outside all the time. They can't speak or sit down with some kids and really, like, give them the roadmap. But I can do that. I can still go to my hood and hang out at the barbershop, you know, that type of thing. And that's because I've never really, like, had the high horse head, you know, where people want to be like, yo, let's get him. It's only because I've been that guy on the streets. So that's why I feel like I'm not famous yet. I'm almost famous.

[DJ Envy]

No, you famous.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That is, man.

[DJ Envy]

You famous.

[Teddy Riley]

I'm almost famous.

[Angela Yee]

Y' all did the verses. You went into the verses feeling like that, too. Like, with the verses.

[Teddy Riley]

I'm not underdog. Are you kidding me?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Theodore?

[Teddy Riley]

Yo. No, seriously, y' all don't understand. Like, Babyface is one of the best writers in the world.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Absolutely.

[Teddy Riley]

Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He's one of them ones, too.

[Teddy Riley]

He's older. He's got more, you know, experience. Right? I'm Lil Teddy. Like, I'm the guy that's coming up. I'm the little kid on the. What's that? The Time magazine. You know, you would see that big puzzle. And you gotta find a little man. I'm that little man.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Mm.

[Teddy Riley]

That's why I called my label Little Man Records.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Wow.

[DJ Envy]

I disagree. But, you know, because although Babyface is a phenomenal writer and a phenomenal artist and everything that you could say icon, legend, and all that love Babyface, but you were the one that I seen. You were the one that those kids seen, were able to touch, were able to see and give inspiration. So it's a different feeling, Right. I didn't seen you drive amazing cars down Virginia beach and come on Hampton's campus. That's us.

[Teddy Riley]

I do that with us.

[DJ Envy]

I didn't see you in Harlem, riding up 125th street, going to Grant's Tomb and being able to talk to you. So it's a different inspiration. Some inspired by their music and some inspired by being able to see. And that was the thing with me when it came to Teddy Riley.

[Teddy Riley]

Well, I'd say maybe to them and all of the. How you say, the high president, CEOs, and all of that. I don't think that they think of me as.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's not too many people can say they created a genre of music. Yeah, Like a whole genre of music. Like, that's. That's different.

[Teddy Riley]

Let me say this, and I'm gonna keep it 100. I created that music. It became a genre. Everybody loved it, right? But when they can't control it, what do they do? Don't let him get by. Because that music get up there, he gonna take our job. You know, that type of thing. You know what I mean? Y' all get where I'm coming from. So that's why I stay neutral. And that's why I can go and hang out with the Jimmy Iovines. Cause I'm not intimidating. I'm just Lil Teddy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I will say, there are records that I didn't realize you even produced or co produced. Like, one of my favorite songs of all time. Like, I'm literally like, probably top three, maybe number one is Mary J. Blige. Be happy. I didn't know you was a co producer on that.

[Teddy Riley]

Nah, I. I did the remix. The remix. No, I'm good. I'm good. Yeah, I did the remix. Actually, Diddy was the one who wanted me to do the remix of that. And. Oh, God, my love. Yeah, and was another one. But I just kept doing remixes. I was the remix guy, you know, and then they would make me the co writer, co producer. But as far as I knew, I was just a remixer, you know, so Like I said, anything that came my way, I was just touching it.

[DJ Envy]

What made you jump into the K Pop game so early?

[Teddy Riley]

I went into the K Pop game because of. It's the first bad media I ever gotten was I got into a situation with my daughter and it just made me say, you know what? Let me go away.

[DJ Envy]

Go to Korea.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah, yeah. And y' all will see that. And y' all will probably read it. I think it's in the book.

[DJ Envy]

Because Rolling Stone.

[Teddy Riley]

But I went to Korea because some guys, a company out there was stealing our publishing because we'd been doing the music for them, but they was taking the publishing. And we didn't know that ASCAP is just for America. And they had KOMCA and Korea, that's their own music society company. And it's like, man, they stealing our music. So me and my boys, we were like, yo, we need to take a trip to Korea. And we took a trip. I said, man, we ain't going to Korea to fight. We just going to find out what's really going on and say, yo, this ain't fair. And we wound up going out there, meeting SM Entertainment and YG Music and, you know, the movers and the shakers out there. And we met one guy, taesong. He introduced us to everybody. And he actually helped us with getting our publishing and music rights back. And it was SM who did it. Two weeks turned into two months into two years.

[DJ Envy]

So you lived out there for two years?

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

You loved it so much.

[Teddy Riley]

Amazing. Yeah. And then when Heavy D passed, I came back. Cause I was talking to Heavy D while I was out there because he wanted to work on his new album. And he's like, yo, you gotta come back, man. We need you on this album. And I said, okay, I'll be back. And we were talking on Skype, and next thing you know, passed away.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When people read this book, what do you hope they understand about you that they never saw, you know, on stage or in the music before?

[Teddy Riley]

Just a roadmap watch and read about my mistakes so you don't make them. And then read about the good things and try them. They'll work for you.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

What's your favorite song of your career?

[Teddy Riley]

I can't give you one.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Top three.

[Teddy Riley]

Okay. Remember the time. No Diggity My prerogative.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

No Diggity is my favorite.

[Teddy Riley]

Really?

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

No.

[Teddy Riley]

What?

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

No Diggity.

[DJ Envy]

No doubt.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

It's one of my favorite. And then I. I wouldn't say, like, what's your least? But what was the most complicated song that you worked on or the most complicated artist that you had.

[Teddy Riley]

Okay, I didn't really have a complicated artist, but complicated song was Remember the time.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Really.

[Teddy Riley]

Now I'll tell you why. Because we spent a lot of time on that record. And Michael would just send us back to the drawing board when the mix wasn't right. So finally he was like, do you think you should go back to Virginia and mixed the song? We went back to Virginia to mix that song, me and John Marie. And he was like, so why are you there? Mix dangerous too. Mix up. Because he loved the sound of Virginia. And that's everybody, Rodney. Everybody would say, yo, Virginia was probably one of the best studios I've ever had. So it was. Remember the time. Because we did the first verse. Michael, after the first race, he felt so good. Dude just took a trip to Switzerland. He had built them all in Switzerland. And he took a trip.

[DJ Envy]

Michael built a mall in Switzerland.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Teddy Riley]

And he had to approve the stores. So he went out there and he spent two weeks. And I'm like, michael, come on, man. This is. I was tired. I said, I want to go back home to Virginia, because I had just had built and everything. And I'm sitting in the studio. We think he coming back in to sing the second verse. He was gone. And I said, michael, I want to see my family. He's like, bring them. Bring them to California. I said, well, I miss my friends too. He said, bring them, too. So I brought Sprague, everybody. They came down. I said, so, what are we going to do for cars? He said, do whatever you need. Just tell Norma. And that's when I know. I was like, wow, this guy's Michael was a reality. What? Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

What do you mean? For cars? So he just got everybody cars. He just hit.

[Teddy Riley]

He got everybody cars.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

So y' all could transfer it.

[Teddy Riley]

He switched our hotel to the Nico, which is now the sls. Yeah, it used to be the Nico. And he put me in the room being decent proposal room where they had the piano. He put me in there. He's like, you know, your wife is coming down and your daughter's coming down. I have something special for you. And he put me in that room. And then all my friends and everybody, he put them in rooms in Aniko. So we all Iniko. We had Sprinter. We had everything we wanted. And it's just like, wow, that is so fire. Michael's really special. You know, when we did Joy. Joy was supposed to been for the Michael album, and he didn't feel like he had that special person in his life. So he's like, I think I'm gonna wait on this. So I asked him, could we put it on the Blackstreet album? And he was like, sure. I said, can we use your name? He said, sure. Can we use your backgrounds? Of course. Do I have to give you the money back? He said, no, Theodore. But that's how special he was to me. You know, he was just a great brother. And he was that mentor that showed me a lot of things. Like, I would call him about business and decisions, and he would call me about females. And I could say that now, you know, the non disclosure is over.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Did you ever feel pressure? Because, you know, he did all of that great work with Quincy Jones and like, you know, now it was your turn. Did you ever feel like, oh, man, I'm competing against what Quincy did?

[Teddy Riley]

No, because Quincy always pushed me. When you got someone that's pushing you, you don't think of them as your competition. They are the sensei. That's real. And I always say, you know, you don't override the sensei. You go with the sensei, follow his tutelage, you know. And that's what I did. I just had to give Michael, you know, what Quincy gave him, big sound. It was really about big sound because the music and the lyrics, everything was there, you know, And I had the right people. I had Tammy Lucas, I had Bernard Bell, who wrote Remember the Time with me. I had Rex in the fact. I bought Rex, in effect, I introduced him to Heavy D. Just putting that whole thing together. And he really made me a big part of that. That project.

[Angela Yee]

When the world was having all those other conversations about Michael Jackson, like the cases and all that stuff, right? You as a friend, like, how did. How did you. I guess how was supporting him through that time because he had done, you know, a whole different side of him, right? He had done so much for you as a friend. Like, how was that?

[Teddy Riley]

I was always there. I think y' all saw that I went up against Oprah. I was like, yo, this is not right. You know, the whole thing about all the lies about, you know, what they think he did. And I'm so happy that the actual evidence came up. You know, it was all a plan. That's why I stay private.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Michael is the one person, you know how. And whenever celebrities get and stuff, they'd be like, they trying to tear him down. The system trying to tear him down. He was trying to buy NBC. He's the 1 celebrity. I always say, like, nah, they really was trying to get Michael. Michael had way too much power. And I really hope that in the movie they explore, you know, what he did on the publishing side so people know how much power he actually had.

[Teddy Riley]

I hope so as well. I know that I have a few songs in there, but I'm hoping that, you know, they give that roadmap, because most times they just make the film and make it look glorious or whatever it is. But I think the truth needs to come out now.

[DJ Envy]

I think so, too.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Oh, and real quick on the back, right? I can't help but to see all these beautiful remarks people left for you. But Dr. Dre said, Teddy's just dope. I could have wrote something better than that. Did you ask him to elaborate or expound on what he mean?

[Teddy Riley]

No, I wasn't there. So, you know what everybody wanted to say. You know, they said it, and, you know, Dre always felt that way.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

You know, you're just dope. Yeah.

[Teddy Riley]

Me and him started at the same time with Jerry Curls in 1985. He was. He was with the Wrecking Crew. I was with kids at work, and we joked about it last week. You know, he was just like, yo. You know, we started at the same time. He's like, yeah, man. I said, he's like, 1985. And we just bust out laughing. What about the curls? So on the west coast, it was the real stuff, like the perm stuff. On the east coast, it was the S curls with the pink juice, and we was just, you know, laughing about it. Why? Why, why, why you doing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, no, no. This is just juice. And don't do that. It's the folk. It is. I got two more questions. Right. Okay. Are you tough on samples? Like, when somebody wants to sample your music, are you tough on the artist?

[Teddy Riley]

No, actually, I'm getting to the bottom of that because a lot of stuff, a lot of my music have been sampled, and I think I've owned my publishing since 2023 or 2022.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay.

[Teddy Riley]

And I have not gotten no clearance, nothing. And I have to Universal about this because it's not cool that I own. I don't owe nobody nothing. My publishing is free and clear. But you're still clearing my songs without my permission.

[DJ Envy]

What's the last song that you heard.

[Teddy Riley]

That they sampled your records? It was Peace of My Love and was another one. In fact, we're checking them on this Michael Jackson film because no one came to me about this Michael Jackson film. What? And I got Dangerous. Remember the time? And I think, jam.

[Angela Yee]

How did you even Find out that the music was in there, though, if nobody came to you.

[Teddy Riley]

We found out through a friend of mine, you know, because they want me to go to the premiere in Indiana. And I said, I ain't going nowhere until I find out who did what.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wow.

[Teddy Riley]

I will not support it. I'm like, quincy, I told you. I learned from my sensei because he did the same thing. You gotta really get into your business, and I need to know why is that?

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So, yeah, there's a phenomenal artist from South Carolina named Trap Dickey. He sampled.

[Teddy Riley]

That's my. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Rex and Effect. Yeah. Him and Key Glock, that Hawk.

[Teddy Riley]

Did they get that cleared, huh?

[DJ Envy]

Did they get that clear through you?

[Teddy Riley]

Nobody came to us.

[DJ Envy]

Damn.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn.

[Teddy Riley]

So we're getting to the bottom of it.

[Unidentified Male Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Teddy Riley]

I heard the record, though, huh? Yep. Record.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Tough record.

[Teddy Riley]

Hard it is. It's fire. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Teddy's like, we just gotta get clear at the window.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

My last question. If, remember, the Times were required reading for the music industry, what lesson do you think executives would be most uncomfortable confronting?

[Teddy Riley]

Um, you know, I didn't really say much about that. The executive. I said more about the. The people who have. Who have taken me to the executives and basically like, you know, pimped me. Like, yo, here, this is my. You know, this is my artist. It's my producer. You know, do whatever you want with it. Just give me the money.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn.

[Teddy Riley]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And there's no way to protect artists from that.

[Teddy Riley]

Well, yeah, now.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay.

[Teddy Riley]

Of course. And that's what I want people to read. This is the way you protect yourself. This is what you need to do. You know, sometimes you're gonna have to stop, hold up, because they need you. They want your sound. But you gotta get the business right. Just stop.

[DJ Envy]

There you have it. Make sure you pick up the book.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Remember the Times, February 10th. Teddy Riley, the icon.

[DJ Envy]

Teddy, we appreciate you so much.

[Teddy Riley]

I appreciate y', all too done for.

[DJ Envy]

This communities, this culture, this music industry, boy. Cause like I said, the inspiration you gave so many kids is just the reason why a lot of kids, I'm sure, are in this music industry right now. Just seeing the kids from Harlem that was able to make it, it means a lot to people, brother.

[Teddy Riley]

I'm so grateful to even know that, you know, and kids come up to me. I do like NAMM and all of the different conference and shows, and when I appear, you know, it's like a magnet. And I love it, you know, to be able to talk to them. So I've never done a master class, you know which will be coming up soon. But all of this stuff is starting now, which I'm I'm happy being that I know my business. I know how to do it, you know, and get the right what I'm worth, you know, because I've never gotten what I worth what I'm worth.

[DJ Envy]

Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. It's Teddy Riley. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club.

[Angela Yee]

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